The existence of God in our culture needs no explanation or proof. We see miracles around us on daily basis which ensures the supreme presence of the Almighty. He is the centre and protector of all our activities. All our achievements or and failures are His decisions. The Brihat samhita states that God loves residing in places where there are rivers, springs, forests, mountains in the vicinity. One can experience the divinity and spirituality of such Holy places the moment we enter inside the zone where the Almighty resides. It is very important to place the idols inside any religious places such as temples, meditation or yoga centre, well in accordance with the rules of Vaastu Shastra. It not only brings harmony and peace, but also generates positive energies that scatter around like the ripples created by a stone thrown in water.

Vastu Shastra for Temples:

India is renowned for its diverse cultures and traditions. We are a land of Gods and Goddesses and live under their blessings. For us, temple is a holy place where we go to seek an answer or solution of our troubles and worries from God. People from around the world, travel to our country to seek peace and solace in these temples and religious institutions. People from ancient ages constructed temples only after studying all the necessary parameters of the Religious Vaastu, which maybe one of the reasons that all our ancient temples are still intact and secure. Temples that were not built on the principles of Vaastu failed to prosper.

Following are some of the Religious Vaastu principles that must be taken care of while building temples:

The construction of the shrines must be East facing (as this is the direction of the rising sun) with entrance in the same direction.

East direction is considered sacred as it symbolizes Light and energy that the rising sun showers on us. Hence, the idols must also be kept in the same direction. The idols of Gods must be on a higher platform than the ground:

The idols of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Kartikeya, Indra and Surya must always be in the East with their faces towards the West direction.

The idols of Ganesh, Durga, Kuber, Shodas Matrika and Bhairav must be placed in Northern direction which faces towards South.

The idols of Lord Hanuman, Lord Dakhinamurti and Goddess Kali should be kept in the South direction as they prevent and fight the negativity that comes from Southern direction.

Avoid inauspicious shapes like circle, triangle while buying a plot for temple. Regular shapes are meant to bring peace and positivity in the temple.

The shoes stand must be kept in the southern side, absolutely far from the place where God resides in the temple.

Drinking water must be kept in the East direction as it brings stability in the Holy Place.

The entrance of the temple must be in the East direction of the rising sun. If there are 4 gates, then 2 should be in the North (Goddess Laxmi resides in this direction) and 2 must be in the East direction. Avoid having any entrances in the South direction as it is the direction where negative energies revolve)

Windows should be constructed in the East to let the Sun and it’s energy enter the temple area.

No way should the shadow of the temple fall on the nearby places. Construction of temples must be avoided in residential areas.

Water must be stored in the North East direction and sewage or overhead tank should be in the South-East corner.

The God of Fire resides in the South-East corner, so the kitchen must be constructed in this direction.

Lord of Wealth is in the North and East direction. So, the charity box should be kept in these directions.

Temples around hills and mountains bring a lot of peace and prosperity in life of their worshippers as God loves residing amidst natural surroundings.

Vaastu Shastra for pooja rooms at home:

Following are some of the essential Vaastu Tips that should be kept in mind while building a Pooja room:

Yama and Agni rule the south and south-east direction. Avoid locating your pooja room in these two directions.

If the pooja room and the bedroom is the same due to insufficient space, try to keep the place of worship in North-east corner and your feet should never face the temple.

Avoid constructing the pooja room near the toilet area to prevent the negative energies from polluting the pious atmosphere.

Smooth flow of positive energies is facilitated if the Puja room is pyramid shaped.

Soft colours should be used in the Pooja room to avoid distraction while worshipping.

Avoid bringing and keeping idols of ancient temples in the pooja room. Unless you worship in a traditional way, do not keep Shri Chakra and idols of Shaligram as they have strong powers that cannot be tolerated by the worshipper.

Do not put the pictures of dead ancestors along with the idols in Pooja Room.

Light a lamp daily in the morning and evening in the south-east direction as it is the place where Agni God resides.

A dustbin attracts negative energies. Do not keep any dustbins in the Pooja Room.